


Dani, Come Home

by thrillingtremors



Category: Hooky (Webcomic)
Genre: This is an AU, as in alternate universe, mainly takes place during the years where she was cursed and Dorian was unconscious, this story is Dani centered, you’ll see why towards the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:21:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22981654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thrillingtremors/pseuds/thrillingtremors
Summary: Ever since Dani saw her brother being burned alive at the stake, she wasn’t the same. She closed herself off, emotionally and psychically. Only a few people could get close to her.Years passed, and Dani only sunk into a deeper and deeper shell of herself. Memories bubbled at the surface of her mind, memories she couldn’t quite reach and restore.Until one day, when a voice calls out to her in the rain.
Relationships: Dani Wytte and Dorian Wytte, Dani Wytte and Nico | Hooky
Kudos: 30





	Dani, Come Home

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU! As in, alternate universe! Only saying this in case someone didn’t read the tags ;; to avoid any confusion! :”) I don’t wanna spoil so... yeah... hope you enjoy!

Flames danced in front of Dani's vision. The reek of smoke filled her nostrils. Sparks sizzled at her feet. Her hair blew in the light breeze caused by various witches flying on brooms. The fire crackled loudly in her ears. She was frozen. 

Dorian. 

Dorian. 

Dorian. 

Her knees buckled. She couldn't keep herself upright. She fell onto the ground, her boots scuffing the dry earth. She hunched over, trying to make herself seem as small as possible. She wanted to close in on herself, she wanted to curl up and never face the world again. She wanted to trap herself in that little ball for all of eternity. 

Emotions hurled themselves at her, one after the other. Images soared through her brain. Her father, burned and roasted on the floor, his corpse charred beyond recognition. Alex, her last enthusiastic smile before she was stabbed ruthlessly in the stomach, killed for no reason other than the thirst for revenge. And now— 

Dorian. 

Her throat closed up. She couldn't breathe. It was all too much. Out of everyone, the one person she couldn't bear to lose was Dorian. And she'd lost him. She'd been powerless to stop Dorian from dying; she'd been powerless to save her other half. She'd lost a piece of herself. Dani and Dorian were unable to be one without the other. What was left for her if he wasn't there? 

The pain rose up within her, growing so strongly she couldn't think of anything else. It hurt so much. She was sobbing, the brutal sounds of pain ripping from her mouth. She didn't stop them. Faintly, she was aware of Nico crying as well, holding onto her and trying to calm her down. 

She didn't properly register his presence. She couldn't. The image of Dorian bound and going up in flames covered her entire conscience. Nothing else mattered. Nothing. She didn't want to do this anymore. She didn't want to feel anymore. She wanted the pain to be gone; she wanted the never-ending agony to just go away.

Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop—

Make it stop. 

Her mind cleared, and the waterfall of tears rushing down her cheeks began to slow. They drew to a stop, until only faint trails were left on her face. Slowly, she lowered her hands from her head. She looked down towards Nico, who was crying still, staring up at her. "Dani?" He whispered, his voice hoarse and choked up. 

"It's okay, Nico," she said. It had stopped. 

— — — 

The week following Dorian's death, Dani had lost herself completely. She no longer was the cheerful, bright and happy girl she once was. She was dim, dulled and paled beyond recognition. Any part of who she once had been was gone. 

Dani's mother had locked herself in her room for ages, never emerging for anything. But eventually, she'd pulled herself together. And all that consumed her was the thirst for vengeance; the desire to avenge her lost son and husband. She wanted the humans dead, and she wanted Dani to help. Dani didn't care enough to protest. 

When her mother would drag in some poor, unfortunate souls foolish enough to trash talk witches and magic, Dani would sit back while her mother killed them. Dani would watch as their limp bodies fell to the floor, and she'd wonder why she felt absolutely nothing. She wondered why when her mother would laugh and cackle and look ecstatic, she'd feel nothing but boredom.

Eventually, Dani grew older. Her mother encouraged her to kill the humans herself. Dani complied. The spirit, who'd been at her side the whole time, urged her on. Dani obeyed them. 

They wanted death. They wanted destruction. 

She obliged to give it to them. 

At night, when the spirit would curl up in its form of a cat on Dani's bed, she would wait until it fell asleep. Then, she would sit down in front of her mirror, and stare for hours at her reflection. It was always the same — long, black hair, dark and devoid eyes, the ghostly pale face. 

She felt foreign in her own body. Like she didn't quite recognize herself. She would stare at her reflection, and wouldn't quite know the person looking back at her. It all just didn't seem real. But she knew that she couldn't be dreaming. 

When she did dream, she dreamt of better times. Times she couldn't remember when she woke up. Times she grasped at, but she was pulling at straws. She couldn't find herself when she woke up from those dreams — she felt lost when she'd sit up, tears rolling down her cheeks endlessly. 

The spirit would claim her servants were poisoning her food and drinks. Dani would listen to it, would humor it — she'd lash out in violence when it'd tell her to. She would feed its strength, she would obey it, because why not? Why shouldn't she? It had been at her side for as long as she could remember. But so had Nico. Nico, with his light ginger hair and green eyes. Nico, with his caring nature, his infinite patience for her. He'd tell her not to hurt others, to be good.

What did 'good' mean? What was the difference between good and bad? Dani walked a thin line. She was balancing like a trapeze artist, dancing over the edge of being evil. She didn't even realize it; or maybe she did, and just didn't care. 

The spirit would feed off of her emotions. She knew that. She knew it thrived off of anger, fear, but most of all — sadness and despair. And Dani had plenty of that. She was a walking pot of misery, and a complete buffet for the spirit. 

She wasn't strong enough to push it away. She wasn't filled with enough willpower to banish it. And with Nico oblivious to the spirit's presence, nothing was stopping it from making its home in Dani's mind. She let it happen. She let herself drift away, and become rewired by the spirit. 

Now, Dani was sitting in her room. The blinds were shut, as always. She didn't find the need to keep them open. She hated light, and so did the spirit. Nico would always try to open them, and Dani would snap at him to close them each time. If he didn't listen, she'd send him flying across the room with her magic. He'd get back up every time, and subdue to her will in complete silence.

Why did he put up with her? 

She stared at her hands, and noticed the spirit was curled up at her feet. Its form of a cat was quite cute, but she knew that wasn't its proper body. The cat was just a vessel; and so was she. They were just toys for the spirit to use and possesses, just mere objects for it to play with. 

A distant part of Dani felt like someone would be disappointed in her. Someone she couldn't remember. Someone she couldn't put her finger on. Someone who she felt like she should know like the back of her hand, but — she just couldn't remember. She couldn't gather their image in her mind, they just . . . Dissolved. Like . . . Smoke. 

"What are you thinking about, kid?" The spirit's distorted voice echoed through Dani's mind. She looked over towards it, meeting its dark red gaze — she blinked, and shrugged. 

"Nothing."

"Doesn't seem like nothing, now does it?" 

"I said it's nothing."

"Fine. Well, get up and do something. I'm bored. Why don't you go eat something? Your body is growing weaker. You're no use to me if you're dead, you know. So let's go, stand up." 

"Okay." 

Dani rose to her feet, and dragged herself towards her door. The spirit jumped off the bed and followed her, the agile cat body carrying it far, much quicker than Dani could manage. It reached the door before her, waiting impatiently, tail lashing and ears pricked with attentiveness. 

Dani leaned against the door, her hand hovering over the knob. She hesitated, and the spirit's tail wound around her ankles. "What you waiting for?" It hissed. She twisted the knob, and the door flung open. Dani stepped out into the hallway, her bare feet gently hitting the floor. 

She began to slowly walk, the spirit trotting cheerfully after her, tail raised high. Dani passed by various servants, who knew better than to try and greet the dark queen. Dani wouldn't respond. She hardly ever did; she was a total blank slate. 

Turning a corner, Dani wondered where Nico was. He'd leave the castle sometimes, occasionally for a few days at a time. But he'd always come back. Always. He never left for too long. Now was one of those times he was busy. She wanted to say she missed him. Maybe she would have, if she could feel anything at all. 

Sighing, Dani entered the kitchen. The spirit leaped up onto the counter. "I want some meat," it said. "Go get some bacon or sausage or anything. And if you won't, then let me." 

Dani’s gaze shifted towards the spirit. She didn’t want it possessing her right now. She wanted to be in control of her own body for a while. She made her way towards the fridge, opening it slowly. She didn’t have an appetite. She never did. Her stomach could growl and rumble, but she’d never feel inclined to get up and eat something. Not unless the spirit or someone else forced her. 

Dani eventually found some leftovers, stored safely in a container for her. The chefs knew that Dani usually ate meat, and maybe some toast. It was all due to the spirit; whenever she had weird cravings, they’d never be of her own accords. 

Dani opened up the container, looking down at the contents inside. These actions felt so bleak and mundane. She wasn’t used to making her own food, but she supposed she could adjust. She went to eat the food cold, when the spirit stopped her. “Aren’t you gonna heat it up, kid?” Dani looked over at it and frowned. “Heat it up?” She repeated. “Yeah, so it’s not freezing cold and gross. Heat it up, why don’t you?” 

Dani lifted her hand, staring down at the frozen meat in the container. Slowly, she felt sparks of magic emerging from her fingertips in the form of pink flames. She tried to warm the food up like the spirit instructed, but instead, she did it too much, and lit the whole container on fire. 

Dani quickly dropped the container, watching it fall to the ground, staining the floor a faint black. Dani stared at the flames, transfixed, and wondered why her thoughts were becoming darker. She wondered why the flames felt so familiar, so — hated by her. She swallowed. 

She could feel a headache coming on, one that plagued her temple and made her knees buckle. She shut off her surroundings, and the spirit was forced to snap her out of it. “Dani! You ruined the food, you stupid kid! Now put out the fire!” Dani blinked, regaining her senses slowly. 

“Yeah . . . Sorry. Okay.” 

Dani extinguished the fire with a flick of her hand, watching smoke gradually rise up to the ceiling. It intoxicated her, and she closed her eyes. Dimly, a memory threatened to break free, and pierce the surface. A memory of . . . Him— 

Who? 

A face appeared in Dani’s mind, but it was glazed over by smoke. She tried reaching out, but came up blank. Eventually, she just gave up entirely. 

If she couldn’t seem to remember them, then maybe they just weren’t that important to her. 

— — — 

“Dani! Today’s such a big day, dear!” 

Dani sat up slowly in her bed. Again, she’d had some far-off dream which she’d tried to remember, but couldn’t seem to recollect. She’d woken up crying, and wiped the tears away. It was such a common occurrence, no one was phased by it anymore. She looked towards her mother. 

Angela Wytte was clapping her hands together excitedly, looking enthusiastically at Dani. “Come on, darling. Get up, and get dressed!” 

Dani still didn’t know where Nico was. Had he gotten lost, or did he just not want to return to her? She couldn’t entirely blame him if he didn’t come back. Her gaze drifted towards the ground.

“Okay, Mom.” 

Angela smiled widely and closed the door, giving Dani her privacy. Dani made her way towards her dresser, opening it slowly. The pajamas she wore felt suddenly too heavy to bear, so she gently slid her clothes off herself. Faintly, she wondered what made today such a big day. Her mother seemed pretty hyper, so it probably involved death. Most likely killing some puny humans. 

A cold breeze suddenly blew by Dani, making her shiver. She was completely bare, and hesitated for a few seconds. She shifted her gaze towards her mirror. She could see her ribs sticking out; her stomach was flat and smooth, but she wasn’t entirely healthy. Her hair covered her breasts, and her whole her bottom half. She approached the mirror, trying to see what made her — her. 

Who am I? 

I’m Daniela Wytte. My mother is Angela Wytte. My aunt is Hilde Wytte. I have a servant named Nico. I have a spirit who helps me. I am the queen of witches. 

The queen of witches. 

Dani’s gaze fell from the mirror. A queen. She was a queen. Why? Why her? She didn’t even do anything. She was just a figurehead. Her mother pulled all the strings, hidden in the background. Dani, meanwhile, was simply a representation for everyone to gawk at and admire; when in reality, she did almost nothing for her so-called people. 

“You done gawking at yourself, kid? Listen to your mother and get dressed already. I’m bored, and your mother always provides entertainment. So hurry up, would you?” 

Dani glanced over her shoulder at the spirit, which was sitting upright on her bed. She’d forgotten it was there. She looked away, and stepped forward. She rummaged through her drawers, and pulled out a plain black dress. It resembled the one she usually wore. All of her clothes were basically the same, never changing. 

After Dani had gotten dressed, she carried the spirit in her arms and went out of her room to find her mother. When Angela saw Dani, she smiled and rushed over to her beloved daughter. 

“Dani, dear! Oh, look at you. So elegant, so beautiful. You have your father’s height, but my looks. You’re so charming. I wonder when you’ll find yourself a suitor?” Angela was rambling on and on to herself. “I want some grandkids, Dani. To continue the Wytte lineage!” Angela grinned. 

Kids? Dani tilted her head, some strands of hair falling into her eyes. She didn’t want to even entertain the idea of having a child. She’d seen them, occasionally, when her mother would bring in hostages to kill and threaten. She didn’t like them. They cried and whined far too much. 

“I don’t know,” Dani responded flatly. Angela reached out, caressing her cheek. “It’s alright, Dani. I know you hardly ever leave your room. So maybe I’ll find you some suitors and bring them to you.” Angela pat her head and hummed. “Now enough talk of romance! Let’s get to business.” 

Dani allowed her mother to grab her wrist and pull her towards the front doors of the castle. The spirit remained in her arms, completely silent. It hadn’t made a comment on the whole conversation, but Dani figured once they were alone again it would have something to say. 

Angela approached the entrance to the dark castle, and paused. She looked back at Dani. “I want you to see something,” she said. “It’s a gift, Dani. For you.” Angela leaned over and grabbed Dani’s hand tightly, squeezing it once. The spirit looked at Angela with dark red eyes, and Dani blinked in confusion. “A gift?” She echoed. 

“Yes, Dani. I know it’s not a holiday or anything, but . . . It’s still a very, very important day for us.” 

Important day? Dani was puzzled. She stumbled after her mother as Angela opened the front doors of the castle, gently ushering Dani outside. 

Dani slowly stepped into the fresh air. She lifted her chin up, taking a deep breath. It’d been quite a while since she’d stepped outside. But — something wasn’t right. Her mind flashed to the day prior, where she’d accidentally burned the food she’d been making for herself and the spirit. It smelled like . . . Smoke. And — burning . . . 

Her gaze snapped to the side, where she found the source of all the smells. Humans, no doubt, tied up on stakes at the front of the castle. They were all up in flames, their charred and rotting bodies flayed for all to see. For Dani to see. 

“Mom. Is this my gift?” 

“Yes, Dani. It’s revenge, for—”

Angela stopped talking. Her voice broke, and when Dani looked back at her mother, Angela was crying. Fat drops of tears streamed down her cheeks, and Dani couldn’t understand why she was sad. Wasn’t this what she wanted? The humans were dead, so why was she so upset? 

“It’s revenge for Dorian, Dani. For your brother.”

Dani’s mind blanked. 

She dropped the spirit from her arms, and it hissed, fur bristling angrily as it landed on the ground hazardously, but on all fours. Dani felt another headache coming on, and as her mother spoke, the blurred image of a face popped into her head again. The face of — of — Dorian . . . ? 

Try as she might, she couldn’t remember what he looked like. Her mother would ramble on and on about how gorgeous they both were, about how close they were, before she stopped since Dani showed no reaction other than devoid eyes and empty tears. But now, Angela spoke of Dorian again. Dorian and Daniela. She looked back at the flames, at how they danced and crackled.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t save him, Dani. Today is the anniversary of his death, remember? The humans will pay, the humans are paying. But we can’t bring him back, and I’m so sorry, darling.” Angela wrapped her arms around Dani in a hug. 

Angela clung onto her daughter, face buried into Dani’s chest as she began to sob. Dani remained frozen, completely rigid and unresponsive. Angela held her close as she cried, the sounds of her agony mingling with the sounds of flames. 

It all felt achingly familiar. 

Dani didn’t realize it, but tears were sliding down her cheeks. A dark smoke, thicker and darker than the smoke caused by the fire, began to surround Angela and her daughter. Dani lowered her head, feeling a tear drip slowly off her nose. 

With tense, sluggish movements, Dani wrapped her arms around her mother, and hugged her back, closing her eyes and listening to the fire. 

Today is a big day. Today I got a gift. I got revenge. Revenge for Dorian. My brother. Who I couldn’t save. But if we were so close, why can I never remember him? 

I’m sorry, Dorian. 

— — — 

A while passed before Nico returned again. 

“Dani!” Nico’s cheerful voice made Dani look up. He stuck his head through her window, waving happily. Dani watched him enter, closing the window behind him. “Hey. I’m sorry I took so long Dani, I had a couple of errands to run.” 

“Okay.” Dani turned away from Nico. She was sitting on her throne, her crown atop her head. Ever since her mother’s gift, Dani had grown more into a shell of herself; more unresponsive. 

“How are you feeling?” Nico approached her hopefully. “Fine,” Dani replied dully. “I got you a present,” Nico said softly. He pulled something from his bag, handing it to Dani earnestly. 

Dani looked down at her hands. A white bow was now in her palms. “What’s this?” She inquired. “A bow,” Nico explained. “You put it in your hair.” 

“Oh.”

“You used to wear these all the time when we were kids, remember? You used to look so—” Nico stopped talking, a blush painting his face. He shook his head and forced a smile. “Never mind. Don’t you want to wear the bow, Dani?” 

“Okay.” 

Nico stepped forward, gently pulling the crown from Dani’s head. He dropped it onto the ground, and took the bow from Dani’s hands. He slipped it into her hair, and his smile started to become genuine. He brushed some hair from her pale face, and she didn’t move. She was a statue. 

“See. That’s better, isn’t it?” Nico squeezed Dani’s hand briefly before pulling away, stepping back to give her space. Dani didn’t respond much to psychical contact, and he knew she didn’t like it too much, anyway. Dani, meanwhile, slowly lifted a hand to feel the bow now lodged in her hair. 

She stood up, and Nico flinched. For a second, he feared Dani would send him off with her bursts of magic. But instead, she turned and walked away from him. Nico watched her with confusion, but it faded when she stopped moving. She was standing in front of her mirror. 

Dani stared at her reflection. The bow in her hair felt familiar, like she’d worn it before. Her hand drifted upwards, her fingers lightly tracing over her own parallel image. She felt like she was looking at someone so completely off and foreign. She felt distant from her own being. 

“Do you like it, Dani?” 

Dani didn’t answer for a moment. She just continued staring at herself. She was stuck in a trance, and it worried Nico. She looked so distant and confused; it made his heart ache to watch.

“Dani?” He repeated.

“Yes, Nico?”

“Do you like the bow?” 

“. . . Yes. I do.”

Nico smiled. Maybe he couldn’t ever have the old Dani back completely, but if he could pretend hard enough, then he could act like he did. 

After all — she looked just like her old self in that bow, except the glow and light were gone from her once bright and lively brown eyes. 

He just had to get good at pretending, now. 

— — — 

“Dani. Dani, are you awake?” 

Dani opened her eyes and sat up slowly, blinking rapidly. “What is it, Nico?” She asked groggily. Nico stared at her, his green eyes softer than usual. “Do you know what today is, Dani?” He asked, grabbing onto her hands gently. She frowned. “No,” she replied blandly, shrugging. 

“It’s your birthday.” 

“My birthday?” Dani echoed. “Yeah.” Nico smiled, looking happier. “You’re sixteen today, Dani. Are you excited?” Dani didn’t answer him. 

“I don’t know,” she replied eventually. Nico squeezed her shoulder. “Well, I have a gift for you,” he said. Dani thought back to her mother showing her the burning human bodies. That felt like months and months ago. She frowned. “Okay,” she murmured. Nico pulled her up. 

The spirit was still sleeping, curled up on Dani’s pillows. It didn’t notice her leaving as Nico dragged her towards the window, opening it carefully. “Don’t tell anyone about this, okay, Dani?” He looked back at her and she nodded. 

“Okay, Nico.” 

Nico helped her climb the window outside. There was a ladder that Nico used to get up to Dani’s room. She balanced herself on the steps, looking down at the ground far below. “Can you use your magic to make the ladder grow longer, Dani?” Nico asked her. He was one step above her. Dani looked up at him, and she nodded. She focused as much as she could, raising her hands. 

The ladder began to grow, and Dani let it extend for a while, until Nico eventually told her to stop. He seemed in awe at her magic; he did that every time she used it, especially without a wand. 

“Come on. Let’s go.” 

Nico led her up the ladder steps, and Dani followed him, her dress and hair billowing in the wind. Eventually, they stopped climbing; Nico grabbed her hands and pulled her onto the roof of the castle. Together, they sat, overlooking the land below. Up here, Dani could see everything. 

Nico grabbed gently onto Dani’s arm, catching her attention. “Can you look up, Dani?” He asked. She did. She’d noticed it was dark out, and assumed it was sometime in the late evening or very early morning. She finally saw that there were stars in the sky, speckling across the black canvas. They twinkled and faintly glittered. 

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Nico whispered. 

Dani watched the stars in fascination. They seemed to turn and sparkle. She did think they looked beautiful. She hadn’t seen something so tranquil. For a moment, the darkness and fogginess clogging her mind began to fade. 

“One of those stars represents Dorian, Dani.” 

Dani’s head turned abruptly at Nico’s words. She stared at him, and he stared back. “Really?” She murmured. Nico had never really spoken of Dorian to her before; he’d tried, at first, in a desperate attempt to rouse her memory. But when it kept failing, he’d stopped. Until now. 

Everyone seemed to know Dorian but her. 

“Yes, really. Look; you see that really bright star, right there?” Nico pointed up at the sky, and Dani followed his gaze. She searched for a while, and she thought she’d found the star. It stood out from the rest, glittering just a bit more strongly. 

“Now look at the star beside it.” 

Dani did. The star’s partner glittered, but not as brightly. It was dull, dimmer. Not as lively. Nico nudged Dani gently. “That’s you,” he whispered. “And the other star is Dorian. You used to shine as brightly as him, Dani. What happened to you?” He sounded frantic, desperate, pleading. 

She looked down towards him, and he gently grabbed onto her face. “Come back, please,” he begged. Dani didn’t answer him; she was still. 

Tears filled Nico’s eyes, and his grip loosened. He seemed to have given up on getting an answer.

But then, Dani opened her mouth. “I don’t know what you mean.” Her voice was quiet and dull. 

“I’m already here, Nico.” 

Nico’s expression crumpled, and his hands fell. He forced a smile, and Dani noticed he was crying. “Yeah, you are.” His voice broke, and he wiped his eyes. He sighed, and looked back at the sky. “I’m sorry, Dani. I won’t talk like that anymore. I know you won’t remember.” He sighed, and looked back towards her with forced enthusiasm. “I guess I should give you your gift.”

“The stars weren’t my gift?” 

“No, Dani. There’s something else.” 

Nico reached into his pocket, and pulled out a picture. It was folded and faded. He handed it to Dani, and she opened it slowly. The picture was of a girl, in a black dress. She had dark hair and eyes, but her eyes were filled with life and youthful cheer. There was a boy beside her, with a matching black outfit, and the same hair and eyes. They were holding each other in a hug. 

The girl’s mouth was open, caught mid-laugh, while the boy’s lips were pulled up into a wide smile. They looked so young, and so full of eagerness and energy. They had hope for the world, hope for their lives and their futures. 

It felt familiar. They felt familiar. 

But Dani didn’t know who they were. 

“Who are these kids, Nico?” Dani asked softly. “It’s you,” Nico explained, pointing at the happy girl. “Can’t you see that, Dani? The girl is you.” 

But that was impossible. It couldn’t be her.

Dani never remembered being happy like the girl in that picture. She just — couldn’t be her. 

“And that’s Dorian.” Nico gestured towards the boy. “Monica took that picture of you when you guys weren’t looking. She said she did it because you guys looked cute, and she wanted to capture the moment. I’m glad she did. Monica said she found it just recently, in one of her books, and . . . She gave it to me. So — now I’ll give it to you.” 

Dani held the picture, blinking rapidly. 

“Happy birthday, Dani. And — happy birthday, Dorian,” Nico whispered. Dani swallowed. 

A tear rolled down her cheek, and dripped onto the picture. Nico looked at her in shock. “Dani?” He asked in concern. She didn’t respond. He didn’t entirely expect her to. They fell silent. 

Quietly, Dani re-folded the picture, and slipped it into her pocket. Maybe she’d look at it again. 

Maybe that would make her remember how to be happy again. Maybe it’d make her remember. 

— — — 

“Dorian!” 

Dani laughed happily as she threw her arms around her brother. Dorian chuckled, glancing over his shoulder at his sister. “Hey, Dani,” he said, patting her head affectionately. She smiled. 

“I’m glad you’re back. You were busy all day!” Dani complained. She let go of Dorian, and he took off his shoes, tossing them to the side. “I know, Dani. I’m sorry. But I’m back, now,” he told her. “You don’t have to worry. I’m here.” 

“I made us dinner!” Dani said enthusiastically. She wasn’t the best at cooking, she knew that, but she wanted to help and contribute. Dorian was always out working and providing for them, so it was the least she could do! Besides, he always ate whatever she made anyway; so it must not be that bad, right? Well, she sure hoped so. 

Dani couldn’t be happier living with Dorian. The war was over, witches and wizards were at peace, and they were both content and peaceful. Monica and William lived together in their castle. Damien lived with their mother, Mark and Aisha lived together — everyone was happy together. 

“What’d you make, Dani?” Dorian took off his coat, joining his sister in the kitchen. Dani presented him her burnt meatloaf and runny mashed potatoes, and Dorian smiled. “Looks good,” he said, and Dani beamed. “Thank you!” 

After they’d finished eating, Dorian decided he was going to go to bed. Dani chose to follow him. For some reason, she didn’t want to be alone tonight. She felt scared when she was by herself. 

She didn’t like the dark. 

She climbed into bed with Dorian, laying down. Turning over on her side to face him, she frowned. “Dorian,” she said softly. “Yeah, Dani?” He rolled over to look her in her eyes. She searched his face frantically, and swallowed. 

“You won’t ever leave me, right, Dorian?” 

“Of course not, Dani.” Dorian smiled gently, reaching his arms out to hug her. She willingly slipped into his embrace. This reminded her of the times when they were just little kids, and he’d comfort her after a nightmare. It made her feel better, safe and secure. She felt bad for stressing out like this, but she just loved Dorian so much. 

She couldn’t lose him. 

Dani looked up at Dorian and smiled feebly. “Thanks, Dorian, I—” her voice died when she saw Dorian’s face distorting. “Dorian?” Her voice rose in panic as his face began becoming blurry to her, until she couldn’t recognize him anymore. 

“Dorian?!” She cried out. 

Dorian’s grip loosened over her, smoke billowing in his wake. The stench of fire in the air made Dani want to throw up. Her eyes filled with tears as Dorian’s voice, far-off and distant, echoed through her ears, ringing through her head. 

“Sorry, Dani. I’m already gone, remember? I’m not really here. I’m dead, and you know it. Just accept it.” 

Dani felt her world shattering like pieces of glass, falling apart around her. She screamed, and everything broke. Her eyes flew open abruptly. 

Dani sat up in her bed, tears streaming down her face. She tried to remember what her dream had been about, but couldn’t seem to recall it. The spirit looked up at her smugly. “Bad dream?” 

“I guess so,” Dani murmured. She wiped away her tears, and sat alone in the stillness of her room. 

— — —   
“Dani!” 

Rain was obscuring most of Dani’s vision. She couldn’t think; she’d failed to kill Monica like her mother had ordered. Angela and the other witches were now captured, and Dani was powerless to help them. She could barely help herself. She rose slowly to her feet, gaze dim. 

The spirit at her side wove in-and-out from between her legs, purring with content at all the fear and despair in the air. Dani looked up, and saw Monica. She remembered how Monica had looked earlier — terrified and horrified of Dani. But now, she seemed more confident. After all, Dani was alone besides for the evil spirit, and Monica had her little human friends with her. 

“Dani!” Nico was with them. He shoved past Monica, stumbling out into the mud and rain. “Dani,” he repeated. She stared at him flatly. 

“He betrayed you, kid,” the spirit told her. 

“Kill them all.” 

“Okay.” Dani lifted her hand, sparks of magic beginning to blossom at her fingertips. She was going to lunge for Monica, when a voice stopped her in her tracks; she froze, hand lowering. 

“Dani?” 

Dani looked over her shoulder, eyes wide. A boy stood in front of her. He had dark hair and eyes, and wore a jacket that did little to protect him from the rain. He seemed to be crying, either that or the rain was really getting to him. He looked like her. They looked alike. They were—

“Dorian?” 

Dani felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. A great weight which she’d been carrying for years and years, ever since she was twelve. A weight which, once gone, made it so she could finally breathe again. Made it so the fog and smoke no longer clouded her thoughts and mind. Made it to where she could think, could—

Remember. 

Tidal wave after tidal wave of memories and emotions washed through Dani. She could feel again. No longer did feelings stop plaguing her. They came back, all at once, and she trembled under the brunt of it all. Tears poured down her face, and she stumbled. The spirit gave a hiss.

It seemed to realize the situation, and leaped off away from Dani, disappearing into the night. Dani let it leave. She only cared for one thing.

Dorian! 

She ran forward, tackling Dorian into a hug. Dorian’s arms wrapped around her tightly, and they embraced. He didn’t let her go for anything. And then, he began to cry — sobs ripped from his chest as he held her, and Dani cried, too. 

She had her brother back. And he had his sister back. Finally, after years, they were together. 

From behind them, their friends watched in shock. Monica and Nico were both crying. After seeing Dani for so long devoid and emotionless, watching her be restored to normal was a blessing. A dream come true. It didn’t feel real.

“Dorian,” Dani gasped out. “How are you here? I saw you, I saw you die in the flames! I-I saw—”

Dorian pulled back to hold Dani’s face tenderly. “That was real, Dani,” he said. “But that wasn’t me. I didn’t die. I’m here, Dani. I’m really here.” 

Dani buried her face into Dorian’s shoulder, and clung onto him tightly. Things would slowly and surely go back to normal, she was sure of it.

Now that she had him back. 

Now that she wasn’t alone. 

She felt . . . Like she finally had come home.


End file.
